USA Swimming recognized for its Olympic-year Success

5/18/2013

The success of 2012 continues to spill over to 2013 as the USA Swimming organization was recently recognized for its Olympic-year success with two prestigious accolades.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming was nominated for “Best Sports Event of the Year” by Sports Business Journal. USA Swimming was also selected as an Official Honoree for the 17th Annual Webby Awards in the viral category for its “Call Me Maybe – 2012 USA Olympic Swimming Team” rendition.

Sports Event of the Year
Launched in 2008, the Sports Business Awards were established by SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily to celebrate and recognize the leaders, visionaries and day-to-day practitioners who personify excellence in the business of sports. The winners of the 15 categories will be announced on May 22 in New York City, and USA Swimming is nominated for Sports Event of the Year. The four finalists are:

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials is the largest swimming event in the country. The 2012 Trials featured over 1,800 competitors vying for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. With top-level competition comes top-level turnout. More than 164,000 fans attended the CenturyLink Center between June 25 – July 2, 2012 in Omaha, Neb. The eight-day event featured live broadcast every night on NBC television.

“Omaha has been such a great host for the Trials in the past,” said three-time Olympian Ryan Lochte. “The pool, the energy of the fans and the organizing committee go over and above to put on a world-class level event that picks our Olympic Team.”

Along with the venue, fans enjoyed the 100,000-square foot USA Swimming Aqua Zone. This fan experience allowed spectators a chance to ride a mechanical shark and race Olympians in simulated swim challenges, as well as attend Olympic autograph sessions. An average of 6,500 fans visited the Aqua Zone daily and more than 70,000 entered during the 10-day event.

“The Olympic Trials is a spectacular event, offering a great experience for our athletes, fans, families and coaches,” said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming executive director. ““The Olympic Team Trials has become our sport’s signature event, and coupled with the swimming competition at the Olympic Games these events deliver a powerful media message that fuels our growth and our sport’s position in the sports marketplace.”

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials will return to Omaha in 2016. Click here for more information.

Webby Award
The Webby Awards are an online award that has recognized the best of the Internet for the past 17 years. The “Call Me Maybe – 2012 USA Olympic Swimming Team” video has been selected as an Official Honoree in the Viral Category. With 11,000 entries received from all 50 states and over 60 countries, the Official Honoree distinction is awarded to the top 15 percent of all work entered that exhibits remarkable achievement.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Swim Team did a rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s song “Call Me Maybe.” The video was published to YouTube on June 26, 2012 and went viral within hours. The following morning it netted over 300,000 views and to date has over 11.3 million hits and 24,000 comments.

“You always see these athletes all in the zone and serious when they’re competing. It’s nice to see a different side of them, just having fun,” said one fan.

The video was spearheaded by Olympians Alyssa Anderson, Kathleen Hersey and Caitlin Leverenz in an attempt to relax leading up to the Olympic Games in London. USA Swimming National Team staff member Russell Mark polished up the final production.